Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-02
ASTRONOMICAL.
1HE xovExRSrs OF THE PRINCIPAL
PLANETS IN JANUARY.
Saturn. Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, and
Mars Oscillations The sun
In Perigee.
Providence Journai.l


,ben they are on his eastern side they are
s,epinc stars. on the 9th, at . O'Clock
4, the morning. saturn l. In opposition,
,.,s,inc from the suns western 10 his east
ern side, rising when the sun sets, reach
inc The meridian at midnight. and setting
a .unrise. The ringed planet puts on his
n,,ohlcst phase, for he is then at his near
81 point 10 US. the earth icing in line be-
,Uccu him and the sun. He easily wins
H. Mace Of honor on the January annals,
o. b.. alone OF the suns family is visible
F,,,inv lie entire night. lie may be easily
,.n,d coming up in the northeast rs soon
arcr .,,pset as Il l. dark enough for the
-. "A annear. rising about the same time
i'm. STARS, Castor and Pollux. on the
1 ror,b. and the red star Procyon on the
In Saturn Will shine with a softer ana
4 &c .,rcne light than the bright stars in
4 ,icipiiy. for planets shining with light
II ,cdecied from the sun do not twinkle or
sc,ntiIlate Ike the Fixed stars. watch are
suns Themselves.
The oppositions Of The outer planets are
very important points IN their course, as
far As telescope observation Is concerned,
and .eldom pass unimproycd. II any dis.
coycries are made concerning our outside
celestial brothers. II will probably be at or
rear lfl INV VI NtiitFAbNhs HN NVhNtlNa-
lion Of Saturu's rings, and questions con-
yrcted with them, are now prominent
themes for the attention Of the men OF
science. OpiniCn Is divided about dark
line IN the outer ring, whether il be pro-
dnccd by q darker shaning OF the ring,
or whether IL be the sky beyond
slowing through the opening. IL star
or other object should be seen through the
dark spaces. the question would be settled.
Some astronomers Of note think that the
rings are approaching the planet. Measure
mCnis of exceeding delicacy will De required
10 establish this theory. Saturn, OPPOSE
lions will afford the best conditions for see
ing stars I'm the dark spaces between the
rings, aud finding II The distance lessen be.
tween The body OF the planet and the rings.
one only needs TO look at this wonder OF
the skies through good telescope TO realize,
in some faint decree, the practiccd hand,
the delicacy Of vision, the activity OF brain,
and The profound scientific preparation re-
quired for a solution Of either problem.
The right ascension OF Saturn on the lst
is ~. 2jn.. his dcclination is 90 49, north,
bis diameter is ~ 4. and he Is In the con-
stcllauon Gemini.
Saturn rises on the lt soon after )
O'Clock in the evening; on the 3lst he sets
about 20 minutes before O'Clock in the
morning.
JUPITER Is morning star during the
month. On the 2ilh, at 10 O'Clock in the
evening, he is in quadrature on the suns
western side. He then rises about mid
night. and Is grand TO behold as In the
anal hours OF the morning he moves with
stately step towards the meridian, reaching
nearly the point overhead when the rising
~ la - III ltfrlaf
Jumter i'm quldrature Is always superb
sight. lie then bangs in the sky, 90' from
the sun. equally poised between coniunc-
ton aud opposition, and, n he looms
owe the horizon In the darkness
and silence o. the midnight hour,
shows by his whole bearing that he
deserves the distinction Of being more
like the sun than any other planet Of the
system. DiligCnt observers, on favorable
nights, make speciality OF scanning his
surface and noting the results. The IA
NOUS red spot whose lustre was dimmed
for awhile. Is now growing brighter, aud
the beautiful belts that diversity his disc
are, q usual, changing all the while, and
presenting the sOiteSt and most beautiful
tone, and lints. Jupiter. seen through the
telescope, n not as magnificent As Saturn,
j. perhaps more satisfactory, for he i
nearer. and his features are more easily
disccInCd. The bright star Spica at the
beginning Of the month Is about Zoe west
Of Jupiter, planet and star having the field
10 Themselves IN the absence OF bright stars
in the ntighborhOod.
The night ascension OF Jupiter on the
lst j. lh. =, his declination is 10 o. south,
hls diameter is 32"S, ard he is I'm the con-
slellaiion Virgo.
Jupiter rises on the lst about quarter
before O'Clock IL the morning; on the
3l>i he Ii,C, Just before midnight.
URANCs j, morning star. ON the ID, al
: O'Clock IN the evening, ne Is In quadra-
tuTc on the suns western side. This event
occurs twenty-five days before Jupiter
reaches the same goal. Uranus is coming
toward, the earth, and will soon be in a
position To be easily discened by the naked
eve.
The right ascension Of Uranus on the
Ia t. %. Am, bis decinaiion is - 10
south, his diameter 81 q, aud he Is in the
,on>t, llation Virgo.
riuus rises on the lst about midnight;
on the 3l,t he rises at 10 o'clock In the
evening.
Venus j. evening star. She is still too
near the sun TO bc easily visible during the
tfsi part Of the month, but the most inter-
c,ling planetary event ON the January re-
cord VIII lie the advent of this radiant star
amid the glow of twilight soon after sunset
a- The month draws 10 4 close. On the lst
Venus sets about bali hour; on the 20,h,
about an hour, and on the 3lst, an bOurn
= minutes after the sun. On the goth Venus
must be looked for about - north OF the
sunset point; on the 3l>t she VIII be %
north Of the sunset point. She will be
found IN the southwest almost rs soon as
thc sun goes down. and Observers who dis
cover the sparkling evening stlr floating on
the lrcmulOus waves of twilight will be
amply rewarded for the trouble requiredby
D., holding the beautiful sight.
The right ascension Of Venus on the lst
j. lgh. l9m., her declinal,on Is 23o 49,
south, her diameter is l0'', ana she i the
constellation Sagittarius.
Venus sets on the 1T about ten minutes
before 5 O'Clock IL the evening on the 3lst
- & sets shortly after O'Clock.
MERCURY is morning star. lie viii he
visible "a the naked eye during the first
lsrt ~ the month; but will soon wing his
witt flight so near the sun aS 10 be hidden
be his RAYS.
The right ascension Of Mercury on the
l.t i l1n. 2Tm., his declinati0n /, 22s ~
sNNilt Hl- Ollutitl II y 10 dhN Nv - III th'
,or stellatiOn Ophinchus.
Mercury rises on the LIST about o'clock |
in the morning; on the 3lst he rises soon |
tier : O'Clock.
NEPTUNE i evening star, and remains In |
fine position for observation Is he purSues |
bis slow couise south OF the Pleiades.
The right ascension OF Neptune on The |
Ut i, "a. sam, his dcclination is 10 ~ |
north. bi. diameter Is &c, and he IS IN the |
constellation Taurus.
Neptune sets on the 1T about quarter |
IefOre O'Clock in the morning; on the |
llst Dc sets quarter before O'Clock.
Mars Is evening star. lie is too near the |
,uD TO be visible as he slowly travels TO. |
wards conjunction. At the close OF the |
month saturn. Neptune, Venus. and Mars |
ue evening stars; Jupiter, Urin.s, and |
Mercury are morning stars.
The right ascension OF Mars on the list |
Is ooh. 3Gm., bis dtclination Is lJ' 36| |
south, bis diameter Is 4h/.6, and be Is In |
he constellation CapricoInns.
Mars sets on the lst few minutes be- |
lore hai.pas O'Clock IN the evening; |
IN the 3lst he sets al nearly the same time.
THE MOON.
TIE january moon fulls on the 9th at |
n. a3m. u. NJ. eastern standard time. |
This Is the season when, as the almanac |
announces, "the moon runs high" For |
Don't this time our satellite reaches Der |
,reaiest height I'm the heavens when making |
ier meridian passage. On the oth the |